1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mixing system with a single-use container with flexible walls and a mixing device for single use, in particular for mixing sterile media or cell cultures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Single-use containers with flexible walls are increasingly used in biotechnology and in the pharmaceutical industry for mixing liquids, dissolving solids in liquids or cultivating cells and microorganisms. Here, an advantage of single-use containers made of plastic is that they can already be supplied by the supplier in a clean and sterile state, as a result of which complex cleaning procedures and validations pre-use are dispensed with.
Rotating mixer shafts, provided with mixer elements such as propellers, or vibration mixers, in which a perforated mixer plate is subjected to a linear up and down motion, are particularly suitable for effective mixing of media in single-use containers with flexible walls for single use.
In this context, one of the largest problems consists of coupling a generally unsterile drive to the sterile mixer shaft in the container interior whilst maintaining sterility. In a frequently used solution—the magnetic stirrer—the mixing element is for this purpose equipped with permanent magnets, which are driven by a rotating magnetic field. Another option consists of guiding a mixer shaft, which is mechanically coupled to a drive, through the container wall, with the through-hole in the container inner wall needing to be sealed against the passage of contaminants in a complicated fashion.
The object of the invention therefore is to provide a mixing system, in which the drive does not have a negative influence on the sterility of the container interior of the single-use container.
According to the invention, the object is achieved by a mixing system with a drive, which is encapsulated and which can be disposed of after use together with the mixer shaft and the single-use container.